1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to laser enclosures and, more particularly, to a light-tight pass-through enclosure system for a robotic laser-cutting station that enables workpieces and workpiece processing scraps to be more conveniently managed.
2. Description of Related Art
Industrial laser workstations are known in the prior art. Such lasers workstations are commonly used for purposes of welding and cutting. U.S. and international standards have been developed which divide all industrial lasers used in the laser workstations into four major hazard categories, i.e., four broad classes (I to IV). Low power laser workstations use Class I lasers which emit laser radiation below known hazard levels. High power laser workstations use Class IV lasers that are more hazardous.
Laser enclosures for laser workstations are also known in the prior art, and are commonly used as protective enclosures for higher-powered lasers, e.g., Class II, Class III or Class IV lasers. Such laser enclosures allow the higher-powered lasers used in the laser workstations to operate in a lower classification. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,476, issued to Gullo et al, discloses a laser enclosure comprising a housing having an inner cavity in which laser operations are capable of being performed and a section having an opening through which workpieces pass into and out of the inner cavity. The enclosure further includes a workpiece positioner rotatable about a generally horizontal axis for moving workpieces from a workpiece loading and unloading zone, through the opening to a work zone within the inner cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,477, also issued to Gullo et al, discloses a laser enclosure comprising a housing having an inner cavity in which laser operations are performed. The housing includes a first section having a first opening through which workpieces pass into and out of the inner cavity. Further provided is a first workpiece positioner for alternately moving the workpieces from a first workpiece loading/unloading zone, through the first opening to a first work zone within the inner cavity of the housing. The first workpiece positioner includes a first workpiece holder adapted to releasably receive at least one of the workpieces and is movable from the first workpiece loading/unloading zone to the first work zone as the first positioner moves from a first loading/unloading position to a first work position. The first positioner further includes a first sealing panel which sealingly mates with a first sealing portion of the first section of the housing when the first workpiece holder is located in the first workpiece loading/unloading zone. A second sealing panel which sealingly mates with a second sealing portion of the first section of the housing when the first workpiece holder is located in the first work zone.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,361, and 5,464,963, both issued to Hostler et al., disclose a protective enclosure for a laser system having a laser generator for generating and directing a laser beam to a laser workstation. The enclosure includes a housing having an inner cavity for containing the laser workstation. The housing further includes a section having an opening through which workpieces pass into and out of the inner cavity. The enclosure additionally includes a rotary turntable for moving the workpieces through the opening into and out of the inner cavity, and passive sealing members movably coupled to the section for sealing a portion of the rotary turntable with a portion of the section to inhibit laser energy from exiting the housing through the opening.
It remains, however, that the known laser enclosures are generally designed for use with standalone laser workstations. As such, the known laser enclosures have minimal interface abilities with other automated assembly line stations. This limits the efficiencies of the enclosed laser workstations. Additionally, when in operation, over time workpiece processing scraps collect around the enclosed laser workstations. To clean up the collection of workpiece processing scraps, such laser enclosures must be entered which requires shutting down the laser workstations. This delay in operation further decreases the efficiencies of such laser workstations.
As such, there remains a definite need to provide a light-tight laser workpiece enclosure that permits easy integration of the enclosed laser-cutting station(s) into an assembly line and automation of the removal of workpiece processing scraps to increase the efficiencies of the enclosed laser workstations.
The above-mentioned needs are met by the light-tight laser enclosure system of the present invention, which houses robotic laser workstations and enables the convenient management of workpieces and workpiece processing scraps. For the purposes of describing and defining the present invention, it is noted that a light-tight enclosure is an enclosure designed to prevent laser light generated within the enclosure from causing injury or damage to persons and objects outside of the enclosure. Light-tight enclosures include absolute lightproof enclosures and enclosures that contain light to a lesser degree. For example, one class of light-tight enclosures pass diffused or indirect laser light through certain portions of the enclosure (e.g., around the edge of a door, through an exhaust vent, or through a conveyor passage) but are designed such that the diffused or indirect laser light is forced to be reflected or change directions at three separate interfaces. In this manner, the path from a potentially hazardous light source to an object, i.e., the pupil of a person""s eye, is interrupted by at least three different surfaces, which reduce the energy density of the light and minimize the potential danger associated with the emission of laser light.
The workpiece enclosure system of the present invention includes a workpiece loading section, a laser workstation cell, and a workpiece unloading section. The workpiece loading section includes a materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from an input conveyor to a light-tight pass-through enclosure in communication with the laser workstation cell. The laser workstation cell includes an additional materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from the pass-through enclosure to one of two dual headstock/tailstock positioners for laser operations, such as cutting and/or welding. Preferably, two sets of laser-cutting robots are arranged to perform laser-cutting operations on workpieces held by the headstock/tailstock positioners. The materials handling robot is further arranged to move workpieces from the headstock/tailstock positioners to an additional pass-through enclosure in communication with the workpiece unloading section. The workpiece unloading section includes a final materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from the additional pass-through enclosure to an output conveyor. It is contemplated that the external materials handling robots may be eliminated if a user desires to manually load and unload workpieces.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, provided is a workpiece enclosure system for use with robotic workstations configured to perform laser operations on workpieces. The workpiece enclosure system comprises first and second light-tight pass-through enclosures, and a laser workstation cell having a plurality of headstock/tailstock positioners and in communication with the first and second light-tight pass-through enclosures. The workpiece enclosure system further comprises a first materials handling robot arranged to move the workpieces from the first light-tight pass-through enclosure to one of the plurality of headstock/tailstock positioners, and arranged to move the workpieces from the headstock/tailstock positioners to the second pass-through enclosure.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, provided is a workpiece enclosure system for use with robotic workstations configured to perform laser operations on workpieces. The workpiece enclosure system comprises first and second light-tight pass-through enclosures, a laser workstation cell having a plurality of headstock/tailstock positioners and in communication with the first and second light-tight pass-through enclosures, and a first materials handling robot arranged to move the workpieces to the first light-tight pass-through enclosure. The workpiece enclosure system further comprises a second materials handling robot arranged to move the workpieces from the first light-tight pass-through enclosure to one of the plurality of headstock/tailstock positioners, and arranged to move the workpieces from the headstock/tailstock positioners to the second pass-through enclosure. The workpiece enclosure also comprises a third materials handling robot arranged to move the workpieces from the second light-tight pass-through enclosure.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the invention, provided is a laser-cutting system including a workpiece enclosure system comprising a workpiece loading section, and a laser workstation cell having a plurality of robotic laser-cutters. The laser-cutting system further comprises a workpiece unloading section, and a first materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from an input conveyor to a first light-tight pass-through enclosure in communication with the laser workstation cell. The laser workstation cell includes a second materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from the pass-through enclosure to one of two dual headstock/tailstock positioners for laser cutting by the plurality of robotic laser-cutters. The second materials handling robot is further arranged to move workpieces from the headstock/tailstock positioners to a second pass-through enclosure in communication with the workpiece unloading section. The laser-cutting system further comprises a third materials handling robot arranged to move workpieces from the second pass-through enclosure to an output conveyor.
These and other features and objects of the present invention will be apparent in light of the description of the invention embodied herein.